Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, March 29-Thursday, March 30, 2017

We're finally heading back to Anza-Borrego since the big bloom, and though I know we missed the peak of it, we love going out there anyway so we're going to make an afternoon of it and hopefully we'll make it home in time for Methyl Ethel at Soda Bar. I just want to give a warning that I've got 4 posts scheduled for today, and I've got some more planned for the rest of the week because I still haven't mentioned In-Ko-Pah, Tour De Fat, Ohana Fest, the KAABOO lineup, and eager beaver Outside Land tickets, and I haven't even touched the fact that The Hideout is changing to SPACE later next month. I think about writing a lot more than I actually write these days, but I'm trying to get my groove back. If I can thank this idiot in the White House for anything, it's that I'm getting outside more, reading more novels this year than I have in the last 10, watching more movies, going to more shows, spending more time with my family, and all around trying not to obsess over the news. I decided to use this photo of Gary McDowell I took last Wednesday at the Modern English show at the Casbah. We were told he was playing with four broken ribs and it was obvious throughout the performance he was totally struggling. The stupid woman who kept trying to shake his hand didn't help the situation. This week it was announced that on Friday, just two days after our show, he had emergency surgery and the remainder of their US and Canadian tour was canceled, so best wishes to him. Wednesday and Thursday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 27-Tuesday, March 28, 2017

I had a crazy busy week last week and the lesson to that is when you're overstretched, you're gonna crash. On Monday night, I worked at the Maggie Rogers show, and since she play ed a really short set, I was able to catch Kate Tempest at the Casbah. On Tuesday, of course, there was the Music Awards, after which I went to Blonde for Allison Crutchfield. Wednesday night was Modern English at the Casbah, after which I went to 90s night at The Office. So my drama happened Thursday as I was leaving for work. I had my phone in my hand and the next it was gone-- somehow I maybe dropped it while I freed my hands to lock my gate and put my jacket on, and I think this guy who passed me on the street seized the moment to pick it up and pocket it. The kick in the teeth was that my insurance didn't cover loss or theft so several hundred dollars are flushed down the drain, and I'm realizing more photos and videos that are gone forever. Ugh. And I still had to walk to work for the sold out Rainbow Kitten Surprise show. By Friday I had accepted that the phone wasn't going to magically reappear and got a new one at CostCo, which is now doubly insured, and I scored a Samsung 360 camera for free with purchase, so at least there's that. On Saturday. we drove to LA where Nova had a Derby scrimmage, and were able to make it back home in time for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The whole week really caught up on me on Sunday and made it an all-day pajama & work day. I'm ready to take this week head on and get back into a regular life groove. Monday & Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Humphrey's Concerts 2017 Lineup

Get your canoes and kayaks ready, because Humphrey's has released their summer lineup. I was already excited when Father John Misty was announced several weeks ago, but I'm also pretty excited that Blind Pilot will be coming back this summer. You can check full pricing and room package deals here.

Wed, Apr 12     Father John Misty, Tim Heidecker (GA/standing only)
Thu, Apr 13     BANKS, Raury. (GA/standing only)
Mon, Apr 17     Steely Dan
Tue, Apr 18      Steely Dan
Thu, Apr 20     Lila Downs
Sun, Apr 23     An Evening with David Crosby & Friends
Wed, Apr 26    Willie Nelson & Family, Steve Moakler
Tue, May 23     Rodriguez
Wed, May 24    Melissa Etheridge: M.E. Live, Celisse Henderson
Fri, Jun 02     Dana Carvey
Tue, Jun 06      Sheryl Crow - Be Myself Tour, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Wed, Jun 07     Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot!
Sun, Jun 11     TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band
Mon, Jun 12     Ziggy Marley (GA, standing only)
Mon, Jun 19     An Evening with King Crimson
Fri, Jun 23     Gordon Lightfoot In Concert: The Legend Lives On
Sun, Jun 25     Blind Pilot (GA, standing only)
Thu, Jul 13     The Temptations / The Four Tops
Fri, Jul 14       50 Summers of Love starring Mickey Dolenz, Mark Lindsay and The Fab Four
Mon, Jul 17     Chris Isaak
Wed, Jul 19     Happy Together Tour 2017
Tue, Aug 01     Huey Lewis and The News
Tue, Aug 08     Diana Krall
Sat, Aug 12     America
Thu, Aug 17    Lost 80's Live
Fri, Aug 18     Lost 80's Live
Wed, Aug 23    Bryan Ferry
Thu, Aug 24     Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home "Love and Comedy" Show
Fri, Aug 25     Dave Koz & Larry Graham: Side By Side Summer 2017
Sat, Aug 26     Pink Martini
Sun, Aug 27     The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo
Wed, Aug 30     The Doobie Brothers
Wed, Sep 06     Stephen Stills / Judy Collins, Numa Edema
Sat, Sep 09     Jake Shimabukuro
Sun, Sep 10     George Benson / Kenny G - The Breezin' & Breathless Tour
Wed, Sep 13     Indigo Girls
Thu, Sep 14     Steve Winwood
Fri, Sep 15     Il Divo
Wed, Sep 20     City and Colour - USA Tour 2017
Sat, Sep 23     An Evening with The Beach Boys
Sat, Sep 23     An Evening with The Beach Boys
Sun, Sep 24     Bill Maher
Thu, Oct 05     The Mavericks (GA standing only.)
Fri, Oct 20     Felipe Esparza
Sun, Oct 22     Carla Morrison
Sun, Oct 29     Keali'i Reichel

2016 San Diego Music Award Winners

So, that's a wrap. The San Diego Music Awards took place at the House of Blues San Diego on Tuesday, March 21st. I have to be honest, it was challenging at times...from the guy who got in Darren's face about being in his seat (which I did not take kindly to) at our SoundDiego table to the fact that it started 45 minutes late because of the Tonight In San Diego episode running late...but it was a good time. I was able to get tickets for Darren and Nova to come, but with the time setbacks, they had to leave before I presented the award for best live performance. It was probably better, seeing as the madness that ensued when Schizophonics finished their set and Brian Reilly decided to smash his bass, launching half of it into Birdy Bardot's face, sending her to the hospital to make sure she wasn't concussed. Crazy drama and probably the most memorable moment of any Music Awards in their 26 years, and not one I ever hope to see repeated. I also don't feel like creating my own drama, but to the person who dissed the winners of the category they presented-- that was probably the rudest display I've ever seen and heard and you should be embarrassed to be such an asshole in someone's exciting moment.
Here's the list of winners since--if you were there---you probably couldn't hear anyway. I had an undercharged phone and left my cameras in the car, so no photos to go with this, but official winners list is below.

2016 San Diego Music Awards • Official Winners List

The following are the winners of the 2017 San Diego Music Awards, presented on Tuesday, March 21 at House of Blues San Diego.

Best Singer/Songwriter - Tolan Shaw
Best Jazz - Gilbert Castellanos
Best Jazz Album - Nathan Hubbard "Furiously Dreaming"
Best Blues - Whitney Shay
Best Blues Album - John Meeks "On a Sea Darkly"
Best Country or American - The Moves Collective
Best Country or Americana Album - Trouble in the Wind "Lefty"
Best Hip Hop/Rap - The Lyrical Groove
Best Hip Hop or Rap Album - The Knee Highs "We Put the Fun in Dysfunction"
Best Indie/Alternative - The Bassics
Best Indie/Alternative Album - The Verigolds "For Margaret"
Best Pop - Sister Speak
Best Pop or Rock Album - The Donkeys "Midnight Palms"
Best Rock - Schizophonics
Best World Music - Tribal Theory
Best World Music Album - Hirie "Wandering Soul"
Best Local Recording - Sure Fire Soul Ensemble "Out on the Coast"
Best Live Performer - Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact
Best New Artist - Skyterra
Artist of the Year - Tribal Seeds
Song of the Year - Switchfoot "Float"
Album of the Year - Andra Day "Cheers to the Fall"

Lifetime Achievement Award – Wayne Riker

Get To Know The Irenic

I recently posted a little FAQ-ish list about The Irenic to my Facebook page, but since I'll be there tonight for Maggie Rogers--a totally sold out show where invariably I'll be asked the same questions over and over again--I thought I would repost it here with some minor tweaks.

The Irenic is a music venue located at 3090 Polk, on the corner of Illinois St. By day, it is the Mission Gathering Church and home to Street Angels, an outreach program and shelter for homeless teens. Mission Gathering Church was the group behind a very memorable billboard in North Park after Prop 8 was overturned.


1. All shows are all ages.
2. Shows start early and end early. Venue curfew is 10pm.
3. It is in a residential neighborhood with no parking lot. You're lucky to find parking within a few block radius. Plan accordingly in both time and apparel.
4. There is no alcohol. Beer and wine sales have been suspended for the time being. Hoping this changes soon, but could be weeks to months.
5. Cash only at the door (when the show isn't sold out).
6. There is no ATM on premises. Nearest one is at Vons.
7. A venue can never sell the tickets of people who don't show up. It's super annoying when you ask.
8. There's no re-entry. It's a liability to the venue and promoter.
9. If it's a Casbah show, the Casbah website is the most reliable source of information. "We were told the headliner didn't go on until 9!" You were told wrong. Headliners can start as early as they want, but very generally speaking are on no later than 8:30.
10. There's no outside food or beverages (even water) allowed.
11. Security may ask to search bags.
12. Cameras are ok. No flash, no tripods. Be respectful of audience. Some artists (very few) ask for no photography/video, in which case we have to honor that request.
13. Most shows are standing room only. Very rarely are shows seated and when they are, it's listed as such.
14. There is a smoking patio, but security might check ID for cigarettes and vapes. If you're not of age, they can be confiscated. (I've only see them do this at one show)
15. Soda Bar also uses the venue quite a bit. Their practices and procedures may be different.
16. You can only purchase presale tickets online. There is no box office to make such purchases.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 20-Sunday, March 26, 2017

It was a pretty amazing week, even though I kinda wanna throw a tantrum that we haven't been able to get out to Anza-Borrego since the flowers have finally bloomed. I was able to catch Meat Puppets on Tuesday, Teenage Fanclub on Thursday, and Jungle Fire on Saturday. I'm loving Nova's new soccer team and am happy she has a couple friends and I know a couple of the parents, too, including Jen, the awesome vet who helped me so much when Pascha died. I also like that we play parents vs kids at the end of practice, so it's fun to have a ball on my foot after years without. Nova is also doing roller derby and she killed it at her first scrimmage since moving from the Baby Dolls to the Juvenile Dollinquents. She is smaller than the rest of the girls, so blocking isn't her forte just yet, but in her first jam she scored 25 points which means she lapped their pack 5 times in two minutes. This week there are are some great shows like Maggie Rogers and Modern English, CYHSY, and more. I'll also be presenting two awards at the San Diego Music Awards with Daye Salani, representing SoundDiego. Nova has a soccer scrimmage this week, a derby match in LA on Saturday, and a piano recital on Sunday, so we'll be busy, leaving no time to see the superbloom this week, but hopefully everyone keeps posting photos!! There's a lot to talk about so I'll try to do a little "Newsy Bits" update later this week. Monday through Sunday archive are after the jump.

Teenage Fanclub at Belly Up March 16, 2017

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 13-Sunday, March 19, 2017

So it turned out to be a pretty great weekend after all. I was definitely feeling sick on Friday, but a day of rest, generic claritin, and some kids nighttime Delsym and I woke up feeling mostly fine on Saturday. Besides forgetting her skates so we had to circle back home in our Uber, the parade was pretty fun and Nova had a great time skating in it. In the afternoon, we met up with my sister and Nova was off for a slumber party so Darren and I could go to the Japandroids show. It was awesome, albeit super callendingto my camera skills (or lack thereof). On Sunday, I laid low until working at the Menzingers sold out show at the Irenic and catching up with work and my shows until the wee hours. This week Nova starts soccer with her new team, meaning we've turned her into the kid that has a scheduled activity every day of the week--piano, soccer, derby, soccer, figure skating, derby, soccer. Eek. There are a ton of great shows this week, so you'll definitely see me out and about. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.   

Things To Do In San Diego: Saturday, March 11-Sunday, March 12, 2017

You can only fight off a cold so long. Judging by my Facebook feed, I'm on the easy side of things at the moment. I felt the tickle coming last week, but you try to fight. I popped Zinc and B-12 and Vitamin C and drank lots of fluids, but then there were two amazing nights of The Shins at the Observatory, and Wednesday I went to The Tragedy of Carmen followed by a night at The Office for Grand Ole Country, and then Thursday I couldn't miss Lady Lamb, and then Friday rolls around and I did nothing more than lounge in pajamas, making sad faces at Darren to bring me caldo de res and tortillas from Pancho Villa, and had a date with Redbox and a couple Kleenex boxes watching Ms. Peregrine while Nova was still awake and Bad Moms after she was asleep. Today Nova is skating in the St. Patrick's Day Parade with the Derby Dolls and I'm hoping I can keep my head clear enough to make it and sustain until the Japandroids show tonight. We shall see. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, March 6-Friday, March 10, 2017

Another great week behind us. The week started on Darren's birthday, so we had a nice dinner at Thai Time as it appeared North Park was going to wash away from the rain. I'm making more of an effort to see more shows, so on Wednesday I walked to Soda Bar for the DoSD one year anniversary, and on Thursday I caught perhaps my favorite show of the year thus far, Mondo Cozmo at the Casbah. (I posted some videos if you wanna check it out.) Nova once again stayed with my nieces for the weekend, and though I wasn't feeling super great on Friday, we went to see Laura Stevenson on Saturday which was pretty fun. In other stuff, Nova tested up into the Juvenile Dollinquents, making her one of the youngest skaters on the squad. We also spent some time with my parents after the dum-dums they hired to remove a 40+ year old palm tree from their front yard proceeded to drop it on their garage. Then we went to the zoo on Sunday which made me realize it had been too long since my last visit. Lots of great stuff coming this week...Monday through Friday archives are after the jump.    

Josh of Mondo Cozmo

Hot Snakes Recording at Singing Serpent

After an extensive break from recording, local heroes Hot Snakes are back in the studio- recording their 4th proper album. Check out pictures from their time at Singing Serpent Studios and read an interview about what they've been up to here.

91X Announces 2017 X-Fest Lineup

In case you missed it, 91X announced their X-Fest Lineup for Sunday, June 11. If you're paying attention, this is the same day as FM 94/9's SPF at Oceanside Pier.

Phoenix will return to San Diego for the first time in four years to headline, along with Empire of the Sun, Bob Moses, Skip Marley, Missio, Sir Sly, The Lemon Twigs, Lo Moon, Creature Canyon, and Lightning Cola.

The concert will be held “on the green” at Qualcomm Stadium Practice Field in Mission Valley. All ages are welcome, general admission and VIP tickets are available. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 6 at 10am.

General admission tickets are on presale right now with password QUALCOMM. Tickets are $55 plus service fees.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 27-Sunday, March 5, 2017

There were definitely not enough hours this past week, but I'm wiped so hopefully I can find the time to catch up. I was busy last week...worked at the Tennis show on Wednesday then went to the Office for Iron Maiden Under Cover. Thursday I worked at the Irenic again for Radical Face and Jenny O, and Friday I caught the sold out show with The Staves at the Casbah before closing the night at the Ken. On Saturday, my cousin was in town and scored a room on Hotel Tonight so the kids swam until I worked at the Pinback show at Irenic, and on Sunday, Nova had a derby bout at SkateWorld before we spent the afternoon at my parents' house. I really wanted to catch Hideout but just didn't get my work done in time. This week should be mellow and allow me to get caught up. Today is Darren's birthday, and while he's not really the kind to celebrate, I will hopefully convey to him how glad I am to have him in my life. He's the best friend, partner, and love, beyond anything I could've hoped for, and hope we've got decades more to come. It's the end of the month, so I'll update with Bar Pink, Black Cat, El Dorado, Whistle Stop and others when they come through. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

NBC SoundDiego Interview with Chris Carrabba/Dashboard Confessional

Obviously from my volume of posts on the matter, I was pretty excited about the way my interview with Chris Carrabba went. He was just too nice and it really felt easier than any interview I've ever done because of his openness and willingness to talk. As you've maybe noticed, most SoundDiego segments aren't available online, and that's because the parent company, NBC Universal, could get in trouble with labels and artist right's groups and such. But every once in awhile, the artist or their label will sign off on the footage and then we get to share it far and wide. So here's the final edit of my interview that aired last weekend. To read the whole interview, find it here.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 20-Sunday, February 26, 2017

The really great thing is that if you bury your head (from politics) for a little while, you realize we have a pretty good thing going here in San Diego, for now, at least. I was brief on my Friday post, so I'll mention that I had a very full week of activity. We went back to Anza-Borrego on Monday, hiking and seeing stars and enjoying being offline. I have to admit the windy roads got to me a little, so I'll have to rethink my diet next time we go (which will be soon for the Big Bloom). On Wednesday night I went to see Esme Patterson (pictured here), and Lucero at the Belly Up, and couldn't help myself from closing down Emo night at the Office. I was also able to hit up the Crocodiles show on Friday at Hideout (finishing at the Ken, and running into a raccoon on my walk home). Nova was dying to hang with my nieces, and fortunately that happened Saturday, so Darren and I met up with Eric for Surfer Blood at Soda Bar then The Coathangers at Casbah. Sunday is my smut-TV-while-I-work day, and luckily my brother's kids turned up at my Mom's and all the kids wanted another night together. We dropped in, brought more food and clothes, and ended up at Pants Karaoke at Til-Two, and had a romantic (and also desperate to pee) walk home from Euclid to 33rd on El Cajon. If you can bury your head enough from politics for a minute, you should be sure to enjoy the lives we still have. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, February 17-Sunday, February 19, 2017

It's crazy outside tonight, but I thought I'd update the listings anyway since there's all kind of fun stuff happening if you're willing to brave the wind and the rain. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 13-Thursday, February 16, 2017

It's been a pretty good weekend, but since Nova has two three-day weekends in a row, I'm gonna enjoy the day off. Tuesday through Sunday listings are afte the jump.

It's Pupping Season at Casa Beach!

It's pupping season at Casa Beach, aka Children's Pool! I got an email from Seal Conservancy over the weekend that said the first pups had been born at the La Jolla seal rookery. The first, born on Saturday (2/4), was feared abandoned but was later seen with her mom. Two more were born on Sunday (2/5). Naturally, we're always drawn to this time of year, and since the beach closure during pupping season has been upheld (for now), and it's been a little on the colder side, it's been pretty nice to spend some time on the sea wall and the new lifeguard tower watching them. Being on a tighter budget, this is one of the most amazing free things to do in San Diego, I guess all you really need is a tank of gas and the time to go by.

We stopped by Tuesday night before the Dashboard Confessional show at Che Cafe, and then made a point to go on Thursday after Nova was out of school. The fog was thick and heavy where it felt like a drizzle, so taking photos was reminiscent of shooting the XX through their fog machines, but I think you can get the idea even with my subpar skill.

I want to be very, very clear here. I respect these animals. I deeply love them and think they're an important part of what makes San Diego so amazing. So as much as I enjoy watching them, I also usually spend half the time cringing at how close people get to them, how they don't read the literal signs or the very obvious body language of the animals. I was on the open side of the beach as they swam in shallow pools created by low tide, but as the tide rose, it was clear Mama was ready to beach herself and her pup, and a clueless woman, with her toddlers, just wouldn't step away. I always wrestle with whether or not to *scream* at people, but eventually she'd taken her fill of selfies and moved along. Don't be one of those people. I know my zoom can be a little deceptive, but at no time was I imposing on their turf.

A final thought...the fight over the seals and sea lions isn't over. While the seals are protected for now, the La Jolla Town Council is fighting fiercely to force the sea lions (who generally hang out at La Jolla Cove) to move the colony. They're calling it "Crisis at the Cove" and are stopping at nothing to fight the City of San Diego. On top of that, the current federal administration is demonstrating a complete and utter lack of concern for animal welfare, habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and science in general, so it's up to us to protect and preserve this treasure, whether that's financially, offereing time, or just spreading the word and showing up when this inevitably goes back to the California Coastal Commission over and over and over again. Join the Seal Conservancy here.

More photos after the jump.

Interview & Photos: Dashboard Confessional at House of Blues (2.3.2017)

Let's start off with the big announcement...Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional will be playing a solo set tonight at the Che Cafe. This is a Casbah presented show and tickets are on sale as of now until sell out. ($15 + service charge, will call only. No ticket transfers allowed.)

I keep mentioning my interview with Chris. The interview and performance will be edited down to about two minutes when it officially airs on NBC SoundDiego in the upcoming weeks, but I loved everything about this interview. I loved that Chris was totally open and we did it in the band's dressing room before the show. I loved that he expressed that he was nervous but then became more forgiving when I said I was nervous, too, that I hadn't done an interview in months. He said we could do a whole run-through and if we didn't like it we could do it all over again in a second take.
(Continued after the jump)

Things To Do In San Diego: Tuesday, February 7-Sunday, February 12, 2017

It's time. Get your tickets now!!! Buy here. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, February 6, 2017

It was certainly a splendid weekend in my world. As I mentioned, I spent Friday afternoon interviewing Chris Carrabba at House of Blues and it was easily my favorite SoundDiego interview ever. I'll let you know when it airs. After that, I had a nice dinner with my family then went back to House of Blues for the show, which was pretty awesome, too. Then I caught some of Metalachi and then closed down the night at Ken Club. On Saturday I had full intentions of going to the political event at Casbah but family comes first, so instead we ended up going to the Tet Lunar New Year Festival at the stadium (which hilariously still has a Chargers billboard saying, "Keeping The Tradition In San Diego") and ended up staying until almost 10. I had promised we'd do a big family outing on Sunday (usually an all day workday), so I stayed up late working. By the time we were up and motivated and packed on Sunday, it was a bit later than planned, but we drove out to Anza-Borrego where we climbed rocks, hiked a little, explored the visitors center, and did a little bit of exploring of the Palm Canyon hike before it got too dark. We're hoping to head back in the next few weeks for sure, better prepared and earlier in the day. This week there are a ton of good shows but my formatting got a little screwed up again, so if you notice any glaring omissions, please let me know. Monday archives are after the jump.    

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, February 3-Sunday, February 5, 2017

I was looking through my listings earlier today and realized they were formatted super weird (long boring blog story that I'll spare you) so I wanted to repost the weekend. I just got ou of an interview with Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional for SoundDiego and he was the nicest ever so I went from no plans tonight to going back to House of Blues for the show, where hopefully I get better photos than this older one from my point and shoot at Soda Bar a couple years back. I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend and taking advantage of the big dumb game to get out of town for a little daytrip. Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 30-Thursday, February 3, 2017

I have to say, it has been a very challenging week. It's emotionally confusing, too, because the executive branch is systematically destroying everything with the full complicity of the legislative branch and it's just horrifying, but then we have to live our lives and it was actually a pretty great week. Darren and I did a nice rainy day hike at Mission Trails, I went to the Minor Threat night at the Office, on Thursday we drove out to Laguna and the snow was amazing and probably unlike I'll ever see again in this county for years, and Saturday Nova had her first derby exhibition and she killed it, scoring 29 points in her two turns as jammer and getting her team's MVP award, and then Darren and I got to see Hamilton Leithauser on Saturday night. So it was a lovely week on the homefront, horrifying on the national one. It's a new month this week, so Black Cat, El Dorado, Sycamore Den, and Tio Leo's haven't yet updated. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Oppose the Demolition of the California Theatre!

It's no secret that I have a strong distaste for many in our local government of late. The same guys who think a tax-funded parking garage belongs in Balboa Park, the same people who basically offered Spanos a $1 lease for life on land most recently valuated at $180 million, and the same people who continually hire Ortiz to fix our roads and sewers (only for their streets to crack, sink, leak or otherwise fail, like clockwork, 2-3 years post construction). Needless to say, I don't have much faith in them doing right by the people and resources of this City. Maybe the Historic Resources Board will be our last hope, against City staff recommendations. This could be the last chance to stop the demolition of the California Theatre and the Caliente mural in one fell swoop.

More eloquent words from my friend, Jaye McCaskill, President of SOHO:

Please do whatever you can to support the preservation of San Diego's California Theater -- the city's only remaining grand theatre of the 1920s that has yet to be restored and brought back to life. Out-of-town millionaire developers are claiming "financial hardship" as their reason to demolish the theater, and are instead proposing to build a phony-baloney quasi-reconstruction of only some of the historic architectural elements (which we know from multiple past experiences is all talk and never comes close to looking like the original). To add insult to insult, once again the fix seems to be in at the City, with Historic Resources Staff supporting this horribly flawed development project. If you can make it to the Historic Resources Board hearing on Thursday morning, please let the members of the HRB board know that you expect them to adhere to higher ethical standards than City staff and to do whatever they can to protect this severely endangered historic resource. If you can't attend the meeting, there are other things you can still do. Please read below and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! (And also please note that the venue for the HRB meeting is not the usual place or at the usual time.)

You can read the full text of SOHO's e-mail here.

Most importantly, plan to attend the HRB meeting at 9:30am on Thursday, January 26, in the North Terrace Rooms, City Councourse, 202 C Street.

Please act now by contacting the HRB and other officials to oppose this unlawful demolition of a grand San Diego landmark. We also need you to attend this crucial HRB meeting. Your emails and your presence at the meeting matter! At the meeting, you also can either speak or cede time to SOHO.

Take Action Now. Write:

Historical Resources Board (historicalresources@sandiego.gov)

HRB Secretary Shannon Anthony (SAnthony@sandiego.gov)

Mayor Faulconer (kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov)

and your City Council member HERE.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 23-Sunday, January 29, 2016

I confess that I didn't drag my camera out much at all this past week, so this one is from the week before when we went in search of the Rancho Penasquitos waterfall. This was a very low key (somber) week, so besides working the Daniela Andrade show on Thursday (and an encounter with an asshole Vice cop) and the SoundDiego live show on Friday, I was very much a homebody this week. I didn't watch a single second of the inauguration, and while I was proud to see so many amazing people marching on Saturday, my late Friday left me zonked out for Saturday. It's a very southern California thing to freak out and stay in because of the weather, but seeing the streets of Talmadge and City Heights flood out the way they were on Friday, if I don't have to leave the house, sometimes I just won't. Maybe I'll pick up this week. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 16-Sunday, January 22, 2017

I spent the past week kind of miserable. I mean, besides the overwhelming depression of the upcoming inauguration, I was fighting sickness--that thing where you feel like you're getting sick but you load up heavily on vitamins and fluids and sleep and mostly never get fully sick-- and I also tweaked my back last weekend, so I'm walking like I'm twice my age and suffering from hyperkyphosis. Still, it was a pretty awesome week when I did get out of the house. On Tuesday, we went to the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve and hiked to the waterfall which I'd never seen before. I mostly laid low the rest of the week, but on Saturday we were up early to do the San Diego River Foundation annual estuary cleanup, then we had a late lunch at Ponce's and zipped up to the Safari Park, then left all the kids at my mom's so we could see Tig Notaro at the Observatory. January continues to be a slow (and depressing) month, but get out and see some shows if ya can, or hit up some of our cool locally owned spots for San Diego Restaurant Week. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Newsy Bits: 91X Radio Shakeup & Goodbye Chargers?

I'm stunned to read the news that Michael Halloran, program director and afternoon host at 91X, has been let go. I mean, I guess we're all used to the radio shuffle here in SD, every year seems to see some big shakeup and as SoundDiego mentions, we should expect to see more when 94/9 begins their Padres broadcasts, but it doesn't mean we ever get used to it...not as listeners of the stations, not as friends of the jocks and programming directors and music directors, and even as a veteran of advertising where this kind of thing seemed to happen all the time. When I was let go from The Observatory, Hal was one of the only people to call me to check on me and I only hope he's staying in San Diego because he's an essential part of our music culture. I suspect, based on this inquiry about Garett Michaels "logging off" of KFM-BFM on Friday (and disappearing from their website), we might conclude he'll be installed as PD of 91X or oversee programming for multiple stations. But I guess we'll know when we know.

Here's the full article on SoundDiego

Bye-Bye Chargers?
In meantime, there's another article circulating social media, and that is this ESPN story that the Chargers are, in fact, leaving San Diego with an announcement to come tomorrow. While I would love for this to be true, as I commented on Facebook, I would love to do a FOIA request on all of Kevin Faulconer's e-mail tonight. And Sherman, and Zapf, and all of the City Council for that matter. This has been going on for years, of course, even before the renovations and upgrades that got us the blackout ticket purchase deal. I hoped that with November's resounding votes against Prop C & D, that this issue would be dead and gone. But I'll believe it when I see it. Meaning even if an announcement is to come tomorrow, I won't believe it. Not until the Chargers kick-off on someone else's, not paid for by San Diegans, field.

Let's think about this. This is the same team that "essentially pays no rent". This is the team only willing to contribute $350 million to a new San Diego stadium, even though leaving will cost them a $650 million relocation fee. And if they decide on moving, they still have to find a place to play until that L.A. stadium is finished in 2019. You really think they're playing in Carson Inglewood with half the seats as the Q for two years?? And on a really superficial level, you think they want two blue & gold teams in the same stadium? Give me a freaking break. I'm just not buying it.

But I hope it's true. We've wasted enough City and County resources and money on this billionaire family. Time to move on.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 9-Sunday, January 15, 2017

I usually take this moment to talk about my real life. Tonight, I'm just trying to sleep, trying to not be a part of all of this. I'll get to it eventually, but for now, good night. Archives for Monday through Sunday are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, January 2-Sunday, January 8, 2016

Hello, 2017! So where did we leave off? On Friday, Darren and I walked in the rain for dinner at Dao Fu, a quick drink at Sycamore Den, and to catch Josh Damigo's birthday show at Lestat's. Our New Year's Eve involved a couple hours at the Lafayette masquerade party (and an amazing set by Oh, Spirit!) before heading to the Ken Club to karaoke the way into the New Year. Mostly we've been working on this massive undertaking. We bought a t-shirt quilt, so we've basically been going through years of concert shirts that have outlived their wearability and will be putting together 88 shirts to send. It's been a lot harder whiddling down our collections than we thought. Anyway, this week Nova returns, work should remain relatively quiet, and hopefully we'll find a good little roadtrip or something before the week is over. Sites haven't all been updated, so we're missing some listings from Black Cat, El Dorado, Sycamore Den, and Whistle Stop. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

My Favorite Shows of 2016 in Photos

I can't really muster a reflective post on the year. I feel like if you thought 2016 was bad, just hold on for 2017. I can't even. What I can do is remind you that we are an amazing city for music. I have the privilege of seeing hundreds of bands every year (though admittedly, I probably went to about half as many shows this year than last), and because of my various jobs, this year I was a lot better at having my camera in tow. I thought I'd share some of my favorite shows of this year, with honorable mention to Kero Kero Bonito, where some mixup left me without a photo pass, and Rocky Votolato, whom I've shot more times than I can count and left my camera at home so I could just enjoy the 10 year anniversary of Makers. The following are in no particular order. 

Blind Pilot at the Belly Up, 10.28.16

Car Seat Headrest at Casbah 1.18.2016 (and again in Nov at the Irenic) 

Frightened Rabbit at Belly Up, 5.21.16

Glen Hansard at The Observatory, 9.28.16

Joshua James at Moniker Warehouse, 8.17.16

Lucius at Belly Up, 11.19.16

Lucy Dacus at Casbah, 8.12.16

Silversun Pickups at The Observatory, 4.19.16

Bad Religion at Ye Scallywag at Waterfront Park, 10.22.16

Hey Marseilles at Soda Bar, 3.26.16

Things To Do In San Diego (NYE Edition): Friday, December 30, 2016-Sunday, January 1, 2017

Back when we became full time parents earlier this spring, I dreaded the idea of Nova having to leave three times a year, but with this being her third visit of the year, we now know to take advantage of the time. We've been organizing our studio, purging old clothes and things, going out to restaurants the kid would snub her nose at, going out, and of course, catching up on sleep. While we miss her terribly, I can't say it isn't also awesome to sort of wrap up the year ready for a fresh 2017. This week we checked out False Idol, went to Blonde on the Kings of Leon tribute night, saw Henry Rollins, saw the Melvins, have been having evening walks, and we've been communing with the opossums my cat used to look after when they were babies, with three separate visits this week alone. Of course, it's NYE weekend so there are a gazillion things to do tonight and tomorrow, so I thought I'd repost the listings to make it easier to navigate. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump. If you don't hear from me tomorrow, Happy New Year to all. May we stand in solidarity against the impending havoc and doom about to be unleashed upon our country. 

A blurry shot of Grayson through the filter of our Christmas lights
(and no flash so as not to freeze him). 

ROI and the Music Industry: A Guest Post by Josh Damigo

Josh Damigo is playing at Lestat's TONIGHT (Friday, December 30) at 9pm for his 10th annual Birfday show. We had a conversation the other day that lead to me inviting him to post. Sorry to get this up so late, but you still have time to make plans for Lestat's. (Happy birthday, Josh!! I love you, Bestie!!)

Whattap? It’s Josh Damigo. I took over SDDIALEDIN to teach you all a quick lesson on Return of Investment and it’s role in the life of a musician. It’ll be quick, and it’ll help with your business skills. Ready…. READ!!!

Let’s start with the basics. I’ve been a singer/songwriter in Southern California since 2006. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communications from San Diego Christian College and my Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University. I’m a member of SESAC for my PRO (Performing Rights Organization) and have opened for Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Zac Brown, Eric Hutchinson, Andy Grammar, name drop, name drop, name drop… When you put all of that together, it means that I’ve studied the music industry pretty extensively over the last ten years. I’ve had my ups and downs, like the $28,000 royalty check from live shows to losing all of my money and then some on a 30 city - US tour. (It’s give and take in a musician’s life, so buckle up!)

I’m playing at Lestat’s West tonight for my 10th annual “Birfday” Show. Unfortunately, this will be my last show, at the venue, because they are increasing the cut that the venue will take, starting on January 1st from $3 a head (when I started) to $5 a head. (That’s going to cut into my profits by 40%!) And as you know, profits for a musician are already pretty minimal. That got me to thinking – When is a gig TRULY worth it? Let’s talk about what an ROI is and what it means to your music business life. (Read the rest after the jump)

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 26, 2016-Thursday, December 29, 2016

Today Nova leaves to visit her mom for 11 days and while I know it will fly by, it doesn't get any easier when she leaves. I only hope with each trip she is embraced for who she is and doesn't feel like she has to pretend she's someone she's not, but I know she struggles with other people's expectations. The past week was pretty great...Darren's mom and nephews visited and despite the rainy weather, we were able to pull off a trip to Safari Park, to the Zoo, to Cabrillo Monument, and plenty of hang time around the house. After they left, Nova got in one final slumber party with my nieces and Darren and I enjoyed Friday at the Casbah for Pony Death Ride and El Vez. On Saturday we saw a picture of Laguna and though we didn't get on the road until after 2, we had enough time to pack up the van, drive to the Sunrise Highway, get our chains on, and had about 40 minutes of intense and cold snow time. Of course Christmas was spent at my mom and dad's and there was plenty of food, gifts and napping all around. This week Darren and I have some household projects we'll reluctantly dive into and hopefully you'll see us out and about on our first childless week since summer. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump, including a massive list of NYE events. If you plan on going anywhere, get your tickets ASAP because just about everything is selling out.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 19-Sunday, December 25, 2016

Last week we tried to keep it mellow. Darren was pretty sick, so we mostly laid low, which means I didn't do much in the way of shows or photos. I worked the X shows on Thursday and Sunday, I worked at the Irenic on Friday, and we went to Magic Mountain on Saturday. It's possible I'm regretting making those passes my Cyber Monday purchase because I am too old for those terrifying and nausea inducing mechanical terrors. It was still fun and seeing Nova's eyes was, in the end, worth it. Darren doesn't really know it, or maybe he does, that I just like an excuse for a road trip. We have the best talks on the road. I'm gonna be as offline as I can be this week because D's mom will be here, then the holidays, then our little Nova leaves to St. Louis for her maternal visit. No idea how we're gonna get through that again. But happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and all that biz. Hold the ones you love.
Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 12-Sunday, December 18, 2016

I don't know about you, but I am really struggling. Life is good with my family, we're all good on the homefront, and work is just fine, too. But I thought after the election I would start to get used to the idea of a Trump presidency. But I'm not. And every outburst, every cabinet selection, every word out of his mouth, all of it, and it's like a depression I just can't shake, an anger I can't contain, and a heartbreak I can't resolve. I'm still living life...this weekend I worked at the Album Leaf show, caught the Spits at Whistle Stop, hung out at the Ken Club, went on an evening hike at Mission Trails, hung out with some old friends at the Casbah, got lots of work done. But man, it's hard. Watching the news and having a 9-year-old ask questions, it's so daunting. I look for glimmers of hope. It's not easy.
There are some great nights of music this week, the Zoo's Jungle Bells kicked off, and maybe the holidays will bring some warmth to such depressing times. Monday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, December 9-Sunday, December 11, 2016

It's been a pretty good week around here but I'm not gonna lie, I am definitely looking forward to the weekend. On Monday, Darren and I took Nova to see one of her favorites, Miike Snow at the Observatory which was a pretty great show because it was more band than synthy dance as I'd expected. On Tuesday we went to The NAT for Free Tuesday in hopes of catching the Animals in Motion exhibit, but didn't realize it was $18 on top of entry ($28 on a regular day!!). We love science but couldn't justify dropping $50 for it. So we explored the regular parts of the museum before going to the Zoo for a couple hours. After Nova's dance class on Wednesday my whole family met up and my parents house to celebrate December birthdays of my uncle and two nephews. Afterward I went to the Casbah to catch CRX who were awesome, albeit a pretty short set. On Thursday Nova had a school field trip at The Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista. Darren and I both chaperoned as the kids walked the trails, pet the rays, and planted native species in a restoration area. We were able to check Nova out and lingered for some extra time so we could see all the raptors and turtles at feeding time. Incidentally, if you're ever interested in going, you can check out a family pass from various libraries (Chula Vista Library has a few, for example) which gives complimentary admission for two adults and two children. After that, we picked up our Christmas Winter Solstice Tree. This weekend is going to be a good one...I'll be working at the Album Leaf show tonight at the Irenic, and we're considering a trip to Magic Mountain sometime this weekend or next unless I can get my grubby hands on Saturday X-Fest tickets. Speaking of, Kaleo cancelled on Sunday and have been replaced with AFI, who also announced two upcoming shows at the Observatory. Have a great weekend! Friday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Monday, December 5-Thursday, December 8, 2016

It was pretty much an all soccer weekend for us and though Nova's team was basically crushed in their tournament, I think she was really lucky to have a great team experience, an awesome coach who clearly loves the game, and two weeks of intense soccer skills training that really challenged her and made her really enjoy the game. Mostly I think she was excited she got to play with my niece after all. My uncle is in town, so we went to the dinner on Saturday night, and the kids all had a big sleepover, so Darren and I went to the Ken Club where there was a show with Amenity and Forced Down with Tony Savala filling in on vox for Amenity. I'm looking forward to some fun times this week and some great shows. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Saturday, December 3-Sunday, December 4, 2016

An old friend posted a link to my site and it kinda nudged me to update. I thought when I, uh, uncluttered my life of extraneous jobs I'd suddenly have a whole world of time open up, but the reality is that I'm still just as busy, just not so tethered to my Note quite as much. With Nova having daily soccer practices for All-Stars and the Thanksgiving holiday, and dealing with some bullshit family business to help my mom and dad, I've been pretty much a homebody at night. We did go to the Safari Park on Monday in the drizzle which was awesome, and I made it out to the Office on Wednesday for Metallica Under Cover and that was pretty rad despite me never being a fan of that band. Nova's tournament is under way this weekend and if they win 4 games, they'll be in another tournament next week. Yikes. We'll just see how it goes. I've got family in town this weekend so get out and enjoy all the shows, events, and beer fests that I'm gonna miss, okay? By the way, Bar Pink wanted me to let all of you know that Head Wound City is playing there on December 15, and tickets go on sale today at 10am here and you should buy tickets because it's a benefit for The San Diego LGBT Community Center and after this bullshit election, we need to give our money to worthy causes when we can afford to. Saturday and Sunday archives are after the jump.